Saturday, December 06, 2014

New Book Review YOU KNOW WHO KILLED ME by Loren Estleman

Loren D. Estleman's You Know Who Killed Me is one of his finest. When a man is murdered in his basement, his wife pays for billboards reading "YOU KNOW WHO KILLED ME!" Leads flood in, many of them useless, making the work of the nearby (and corrupt) Sheriff's department even more difficult. And this problem is compounded when an anonymous ten thousand dollar reward is posted.
Who doesn't want ten grand?
As for the victim...a quiet man who maintained the computer that operated the city's traffic light. Not the sort of vic whose job or life makes him eligible for the Most Likely Vic list.
But then the Sheriff's department hires Walker to look into all the tips (Walker is deputized for the task) and see if there are any leads to be found in the bubbling swamp of tips.
The novel is pure page turner, a minefield of twists and a vaudeville act of Walker's take on modern life. Estleman's books are tough but they are also funny as hell.
But maybe the biggest surprise of all is on the first page. Walker, it seems, is in rehab for his addiction to alcohol and pain meds. His physical and mental health problems enrich the novel and give Walker an even more trenchant take on the fools--including himself--he must deal with.
Publisher's Weekly gave it a starred review. It was well deserved. Will surely be a Shamus award contender.